Real pay, real numbers
See your real hourly pay from DoorDash, Uber Eats, or Instacart
Enter your earnings, hours online, and miles driven. The calculator subtracts vehicle costs at the 2026 IRS mileage rate — or your own gas and wear numbers — plus self-employment tax, and shows what an hour of your time actually pays.
Last updated: July 2026 · Free · No signup
Your numbers
Platform
Base pay + tips. Miles include driving to hotspots and back. Preset numbers are illustrative — replace them with your own.
Gross = everything the app paid you, tips included. Hours = time online, waiting included.
Vehicle cost method
Planning estimate, not tax advice. Taxes shown are federal self-employment tax only — income tax is extra.
Your real pay
Gross / hr
$18.00
Vehicle cost
$290.00
72.5¢/mi
Net / hr pre-tax
$8.33
Real hourly wage (after car + SE tax)
$7.16/hr
Gross per mile: $1.35
- Net profit this week
- $250.00
- Est. self-employment tax (15.3% × 92.35%)
- −$35.32
- Take-home this week
- $214.68
- Annualized net (50 wks, after SE tax)
- $10,734
Set aside $63–$75 per week (25–30% of profit) for quarterly estimated taxes — that covers SE tax plus federal income tax for most drivers.
Below the $7.25 federal minimum wage
After your car and taxes, this route is paying you less than a W-2 minimum-wage job — and with none of the benefits. Fewer miles per dollar is the fastest fix.
How gig driver pay really works
The number in the app is not your wage. Delivery platforms pay you as an independent contractor: you supply the car, the gas, the tires, the insurance — and both halves of Social Security and Medicare. Two costs hide the truth. First, deadhead miles: every mile back from a drop-off, out to a hotspot, or circling for the next ping burns money without earning any. Second, dead time: platforms quote earnings per “active” hour, but your shift includes the waiting. This calculator counts all of it.
The vehicle side uses the IRS 2026 standard mileage rate of 72.5 cents per mile — the IRS’s own all-in estimate of gas, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation — or your custom gas-and-wear inputs if you know your car’s numbers. The tax side follows IRS Schedule SE: 15.3% applied to 92.35% of your net profit.
How to calculate your real hourly wage
To calculate real hourly pay as a gig driver, subtract vehicle costs (miles driven × 72.5¢, the 2026 IRS rate) from gross earnings including tips, subtract self-employment tax (15.3% of 92.35% of that profit), then divide by total hours online — waiting time included, not just active delivery time.
Real $/hr = (gross − miles × $0.725 − SE tax) ÷ hours onlinewhere SE tax = (gross − vehicle costs) × 92.35% × 15.3%
Worked example: DoorDash, 30 hours, $540, 400 miles
A dasher grosses $540 in a 30-hour week (tips included) and puts 400 miles on the car. The app shows $18.00/hr. Here is the same week after costs:
| Line | Amount | Per hour |
|---|---|---|
| Gross earnings (incl. tips) | $540.00 | $18.00 |
| Vehicle cost: 400 mi × 72.5¢ | −$290.00 | — |
| Net profit before tax | $250.00 | $8.33 |
| SE tax: $250 × 92.35% × 15.3% | −$35.32 | — |
| Real take-home | $214.68 | $7.16 |
$7.16 an hour — below the $7.25 federal minimum wage. That is why miles matter more than the gross number. If you sell your own services locally instead, price them properly with the service price calculator and bill customers with the free invoice generator.
IRS mileage rate history and self-employment tax, 2026
| Year | Business rate / mile | IRS source |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 (Jan–Jun) | 58.5¢ | Notice 2022-03 |
| 2022 (Jul–Dec) | 62.5¢ | Mid-year increase for gas prices (Announcement 2022-13) |
| 2023 | 65.5¢ | Notice 2023-03 |
| 2024 | 67.0¢ | Notice 2024-08 |
| 2025 | 70.0¢ | Notice 2025-5 |
| 2026 | 72.5¢ | Notice 2026-10 — current rate |
Source: IRS.gov — Standard mileage rates
| Self-employment tax component (2026) | Rate / value |
|---|---|
| Social Security portion | 12.4% up to $184,500 |
| Medicare portion | 2.9% (no cap) |
| Combined SE tax rate | 15.3% |
| Taxable share of net earnings (Schedule SE) | 92.35% |
| Minimum net earnings before SE tax applies | $400/yr |
Sources: IRS.gov — Self-employment tax · SSA.gov — 2026 wage base
| 2026 estimated tax quarter | Payment due |
|---|---|
| Q1 (Jan–Mar 2026) | April 15, 2026 |
| Q2 (Apr–May 2026) | June 15, 2026 |
| Q3 (Jun–Aug 2026) | September 15, 2026 |
| Q4 (Sep–Dec 2026) | January 15, 2027 |
Source: IRS Form 1040-ES (2026)
Frequently asked questions
Do DoorDash and Uber Eats drivers have to pay quarterly taxes?
Yes, if you expect to owe $1,000 or more in tax for the year. Gig apps do not withhold anything, so the IRS expects estimated payments via Form 1040-ES in April, June, September, and January. Setting aside 25–30% of profit each week keeps those payments painless.
Can I deduct miles driven to a hotspot or while waiting for orders?
Miles driven while working with the app on — repositioning to a hotspot, driving between orders, returning from a drop-off — are generally deductible business miles. The trip from your home to your first working area may count as commuting, which is not deductible. Keep a contemporaneous mileage log.
Standard mileage rate or actual expenses — which should I use?
Most gig drivers do better with the standard mileage rate (72.5¢/mi in 2026) because it bundles gas, maintenance, insurance, and depreciation into one number with minimal paperwork. Actual expenses can win with an expensive or gas-hungry vehicle, but require receipts for everything. You choose the method in the first year the car is used for work.
Do the apps withhold taxes for me?
No. DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, Grubhub, and Spark treat drivers as independent contractors, so nothing is withheld. You will get a 1099 form, and you pay both the employee and employer halves of Social Security and Medicare — that is the 15.3% self-employment tax.
What counts as “hours online”?
Count every hour the app is on and you are available — including waiting in parking lots and driving to busy zones. Platforms advertise earnings per “active” delivery time, which hides the waiting. Your real hourly wage only means something if it is measured against all the time the job takes.
This page is general information, not tax or legal advice. Confirm your situation with a tax professional or IRS.gov.
Next step
Earn more with fewer miles
Local gigs on Brixaz — moving help, yard work, assembly, junk removal — often pay more per hour with zero deadhead miles. Or offer delivery and moving help directly to neighbors: $0 fees, no commissions, you keep 100%.